Testing the Textbooks: Teaching Ancient Egypt

Description: Participants in this workshop will examine the fundamentals of ancient Egypt as revealed by the archaeological discoveries since the Rosetta Stone. The class consists of slide lectures and handouts that will analyze these discoveries for what they reveal about the world of ancient Egypt.

Participants will examine the documents, artifacts, and stories of ancient Egypt and employ the skills of historical analysis and interpretation in probing their meaning and importance. They will learn the timeline, calendar, and cultural characteristics of these civilizations. Participants will improve and increase their knowledge of the subject which will provide the opportunity to help students meet challenging academic and state standards.

Teachers should bring to the class the textbooks they use in teaching ancient civilizations. The culminating activity for this class will be a mandatory field trip to the Brooklyn Museum. Students will arrange car pools for the trip.